Sewing-machine attachment.



C. STAFFORD. SEWING MACHINE ATTAGHMENT. APPLICATION FILED Aue.za,19o8.

937,1 12. l Patented o0t.19,19o9.

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CHARLES STAFFORD, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO THE SINGER MANU- EACTURIN'G COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEWING-MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

To all whom 'it may concern: l

Be it known that I, CHARLES STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for rendering ineffective the feeding mechanism of straight-away stitching machines to adapt them for manual feed of the work in producing embroidery; and it has for its object to provide means whereby this end may be accomplished without disturbing the op-` erative parts of the machine or the adjustments thereof for normal stitching operations.

In its most desirable form, the invention consists of a sheet metal cover-plate with arched or recessed central or operative portion provided with a needle-hole and adapted to overlie the usual throat-plate of the sewing machine and provided with means for detachably securing the same to said throat-plate with its needle-hole in register with that of the latter and its operative or arched portion overlying the feed-dog so as to serve as a shield to prevent the contact of the work therewith.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the bed-plate of a Singer sewing machine of the No. 66 class with the stitching devices and the detachable cover-plate of the present invention applied to its throat-plate. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the under side of the cover-plate. Fig. 3 is a transverse Vsectional elevation and Fig. 4 a bottom plan view of the improvement in a slightly modified form applied to the throat-plate.

In the drawings, 1 is the bed-plate in which is mounted the horizontally disposed oscillating hook 2 supporting the eccentrically arranged thread-case 3 carrying the bobbin 4 of lower thread. The machine is provided with the usual bobbin ejector comprising the finger lever 5 by means of which the bobbin is lifted above the rim of the bobbin cavity in the thread-case for removal by the operator. The vertically reciprocating needle-bar 6 is journaled in the bushing 7 and is provided at its lower end with the needle-clamp 8 in which is secured the eyepointed needle 9 cooperating with the oscillating hook 2 in the production of stitches.

The throat-plate 10 is provided with the I usual needle-hole 1l intermediate the feeddog apertures 12, through which latter rise the feeding points 13 of the fed-dog 14 in the normal operation of the machine for straightaway stitching.

When the machine is to be used for embroidery work, the presser-foot is preferably removed and the throat-plate covered by means of the sheet metal cover-plate 15 having its overlying portion lcorresponding in contour with said plate and its central portion 16 arched sufficiently to afford clearance for the tops of the feedingv points 13 of the feed-dog 14, when raised into operative position as represented in Fig. 3, and provided with Va needle-hole 17 in register with that of the throat-plate. To avoid the presentation to the work of any abrupt edges, the arched portion 16 is made of substantially circular outline so as to produce a portion 18 overhanging the straight edge of the throat-plate, Vand this portion is in certain cases formed with a segmental notch or recess 19 (as represented in Figs. 1 and 2) to permit the withdrawal of the bobbin 4 without the detachment of the cover-plate, in sewing machines in which the loop-taker is horizontally arranged; but the circular contour of the projecting portion 18 may be maintained unbroken (as represented in Figs. 3 and 4) if desired. In practice the edge of the overhanging portion 18 lies flat upon the slide-plate normally covering the hook-cavity and continuous with the throatplate.

As herein represented, the straight edges of the cover-plateJ on opposite sides of the arched projection 18 are provided with fastening lugs 20 which are bent backwardly into hooked form to provide clamping members 21 adapted to embrace the straight forward edge of the throat-plate; and the rearward portion of the cover-plate is punched downwardly to form a hollow stud or steady pin 22 adapted to register with and enter an aperture 23 formed in the throat-plate. The rearwardly extending prongs 2l of the fastening hooks produce a slight pressure upon the rearward portion of the cover plate, serving to maintain it yieldingly seated upon the top of the throat-plate and to provide convenient means for detaching the same an arched thumb-nail recess 24 is provided Ain the margin of the cover-plate adjacent the. stud 22 by means of which the edge of the same may be lifted sufficiently to disengage the stud 22 from the hole 23 to enable the cover-plate to be shifted forwardly for disengagement `of its fastening hook 2O from the edgeof the throat-plate, when the coverplate is to be disengaged for any purpose. As will be seen by reference to the drawings, the fastening hooks and centering stud are formed integral with the body of the coverplate, but it is'evident that this is not an essential feature of the present improvement, noris it necessary that the fastening hooks 20 2lshould be elastic, as the pressure of the work would tend, in the operation of the machine,4 to maintain the cover plate seated upon the throat-plate and confinedin register therewith by means of the depending portions 20 of the fastening lugs in conjunction with the stud 22.

To insure against the edgewise shifting of the cover-plate, the lugs 20 are preferably provided with 'lateral extensions 25 whose extremities engage the opposite edges of the slideway` 26 in the bed-plate in which are seated the throat-plate and thebed-plate slides.

In the use of the present improvement, the only change required in the sewing machine to prepare it for embroidery work is the removal ofthe presser-foot, the work-plate slide covering the lower stitch-forming device being merely slightly withdrawn to permit the application of the cover-plate l5 and then returned to initial position, when the machineis in readiness for the embroidering operation; i

Having'thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is l. The combination with a sewing machine comprising a cloth-plate formed with an opening in lits upper surface, and a throatplate applied to and partially covering said opening and having one ofl its edges exposed along the adjacent uncovered portion of said opening and being formed with a needle aperture-and adjacent feed-dog openings, of a feed-dog cover-plate formed with a needlehole andoverlying the throat-plate and -provided with fastening meansextending below and underneath the upper face of said throatplate at its exposed edge and adapted to forcibly and removably hold the cover-plate seated upon the throat-plate.

2. A feed-dog cover-plate for sewing inaehines formed with a needle-hole and provided with depending lugs and with cooperating attaching means for securing and locking it to the throat-plate with said lugs engaging the edge of the latter and with its needle-hole in register with that of said throat-plate.

3. A feed-dog cover-plate for sewing machines formed with a needle-hole and with depending hooked lugs for engaging and vgripping the margin of the throat-plate.

4L. A feed-dog cover-plate for sewing machines formed with a needle-hole and with depending hooked lugs for engaging and gripping the margin ofthe throat-plate and with a depending stud entering a suitable aperture in the latter.

5. The combination with a sewing machine throat-plate provided with a feed-dog aperture and adjacent needle-hole, of a coverplate therefor provided with a needle-hole and with a plurality of depending fastening members engaging spaced parts of the throat-plate and adapted to lock said coverplate with its needle-hole in register with that of the throat-plate.

6. The combination with ay sewing machine throat-plate provided with a feeddog aperture and adjacent needle-hole, of a cover-plate therefor provided with a needle-hole and with depending springhooks adapted to engage and clasp the edge of the throat-plate and with a. depending stud adapted to enter an aperture in said throat-plate.

7. A sheet-metal feed-dog cover-plate for sewing machines forlned with arched central portion having a needle-hole and with adjacent downturned integral hooked lugs and an integral hollow centering stud, said hooked lugs being adapted to engage and clasp the mar-gin of the throat-plate and the centering stud to enter a suitable aperture in said throat-plate.

S. A feed-dog cover-plate for sewing machines formed with a needle-hole and carrying clamping means extending below its operative surface whereby it maybe removably attached to a sewing machine throat-plate.

9. A feed-dog cover-plate for sewing machines formed with a needle-hole and carrying spring clamping means extending below its operative surface whereby it may be removably attached to a sewing machine throat-plate.

l0. The combination with a sewing machine comprising a cloth-plate formed with an opening in its upper surface, and a throatplate applied to and partially covering said opening and formed wit-h a needle-aperture and adjacent feed-dog openings, of a feed dogg` cover-plate overlying the throat-plate and provided with a needle-hole and with fastening means extending below and underneath the upper face of said throat-plate and adapted to forcibly and removably hold the cover-plate Seated upon the throat-plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specicaton, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CHARLES STAFFORD.

Vltnesses HENRY J. MILLER, JOSEPH F. J AQUITH. 

